The 21st District Court will have its first drug court session starting next week. The process started about two years ago and has been spearheaded by District Judge Kendra Lewison. This specialty court is for those non violent offenders who have been sentenced to felony probation. Community Corrections Director Shelly Williams says this specialty court makes sure people receive treatment rather than incarceration. Williams says when this behavior is addressed consistently and quickly, behavioral changes will be reinforced faster. Those attending drug courts will have already been sentenced as part of their probation. Williams says those sessions will start one…
Author: KMAN Staff
On Friday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with RCPD Director Dennis Butler.
The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley will be deploying troops in support of Afghan evacuees. The Department of Defense recently approved a request for assistance from the State Department to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for vulnerable Afghans from forts across the nation. Approximately 500 service members from the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley will provide support to Fort McCoy, Fort Lee, and JBMDL to assist in these efforts as part of the task forces located there. The soldiers from Fort Riley will be joining service members from several forts as part of…
Sixty-five years later and Pawnee Mental Health continues to serve the Riley County area. Robbin Cole, Pawnee Mental Health Executive Director, says this year is full of events, from the K-State 5K Homecoming event to celebrating 65 years of service. “Pawnee Mental Health started serving Riley County and the city of Manhattan as the Riley County Mental Health Center on November 19th of 1956.” Cole says this year they will not only hold their typical events, but will add several anniversary events, beginning with a celebration in Junction City on October 19. She says the celebration continues in Concordia on…
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly has directed Kansas state employees to resume working remotely if possible because of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. Kelly’s announcement Wednesday came after two months of steadily rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases that have stressed hospitals and led some public schools to require masks indoors. Kelly’s directive applies to state agencies under her control; employees must resume remote work by Sept. 3 and continue at least through Oct. 4. A memo from Kelly’s administration secretary said any employee who was able to work remotely earlier should do it again. Many state employees…
BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — Education officials overseeing the more than $1.1 billion in federal pandemic aid for Kansas schools say districts are spending much of the money to meet the mental health needs of students and staff. Districts also are hiring “intervention specialists” who can work one-on-one or in small groups to fill in learning gaps. They’re also spending to upgrade curriculum. Since March 2020, the federal government has provided $190 billion in pandemic aid to the nation’s schools, which is more than four times what the U.S. Education Department spends on K-12 schools in a typical year. In Kansas,…
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for theft in the 2200 block of Prairie Glen Pl. in Manhattan on August 25, 2021, around 3:37 p.m. Officers listed a 39-year-old male as the victim when it was…
On Thursday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with K-State Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy Director Dr. Tim Shaffer. We also spoke with Pawnee Mental Health Executive Director Robbin Cole.
The City Commission heard Tuesday night that the city’s estimated cost for the reconstruction of the main runway at Manhattan Regional Airport had already gone up six million dollars. Bids are scheduled for April of next year. The majority of the more than 54 million dollar project will be covered by an FAA grant, but the city is currently on the hook for 11 million, 210 thousand dollars or more. Commissioner Usha Reddi asked if there was a way to lock in prices at current levels. The closure between April and early September of 2023 is actually a money saver…